Internal fastener for tubular telescoping parts.



No. 64|,895. Patented. Ian. 23, I900.

J. P. SCDVILL.

INTERNAL FASTENER FOR TUBULAR TELESGOPING PARTS.

(Application filed July 1, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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cycle frame.

JAMES P. SCOVILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNCR TO THE GEO. L. THOMPSONMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

INTERNAL FASTENER FOR TUBULAR TELESCOPING PARTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,895, dated January23, 1900. Application filed July 1. 1898. {Serial No. 684,935. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES P. Soov1LL, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Internal Fasteners for Tubular Telescoping'Parts, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in internal fasteners for tubulartelescoping parts, the particular embodiment of the invention shownbeing a seat or saddle post fastener for bicycles; but the invention maybe otherwise embodiedas, for instance, in securing bicycle handle-barsto the steeringhead or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterreferred tosiinple and economical in construction, convenient andpositive in operation, and not likely to get out of order under severeand long-continued use.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, and will be readilyunderstood from the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View, partly in sideelevation and partly in axial section, of a bicycle saddle-post equippedwith my invention and secured within the seatpost standard of a bi- Fig.2 is an axial sectional View taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and lookingdownwardly. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of thelower expansible end of the fastener. Fig. 5 is a detail View of thelower end portion of the actuating-rod.

As shown in said drawings, A designates a part of the seat-post standardof a bicycleframe of usual construction, and B a saddlepost securedtherein, said saddle-post being made tubular and arranged to telescopeand fit within the upper end of the seat post standard in the usualmanner.

In carrying out my invention the lower portion of the saddle-post isexpanded or forced outwardly into frictional engagement with theinterior of the seat-post standard within which it telescopes, and tothis end said saddle -post is bifurcated or slotted from its lower endupwardly a considerable distance at each side, as indicated at b, so asto permit the opposite side portions 1) to be forced apart. Within thebifurcated portion of the saddlepost is arranged an expanding device C,which preferably and as shown in the present instance consists of ablock of vulcanized rubber adapted to be compressed endwise,

so as to increase its transverse diameter suf- 6o ficiently to force theparts 1) into forcible bearing with the seat-post standard. As aconvenient and preferred construction said block of rubber is made ofcylindric form of such diameter as to fit closely Within the lower endof the saddle-post and is adapted to be compressed between a fixeddiaphragm or support D, secured within the saddle-post at the upper endof the slotted or bifurcated portion thereof, and a movable diaphragm orfollower D, arranged within the saddle-post in bearing with the lowerend of said expanding-block. The follower D is drawn upwardly tocompress the expanding-block by means of an actuating-rod E, engaged atits lower end with the follower and arranged to extend upwardly throughthe expandingblock through a suitable aperture d, formed in the fixeddiaphragm D, and projecting at its upper end through a bearing or guideaperture 5 formed in a second fixed diaphragm or transverse support Bsecured in the upper part of the saddle-post.

. In order to draw the actuating-rod and connected follower upwardly,said rod is provided at its upper end witha screw-threaded portion e,which engages a nut E, resting upon and having bearing contact with thesupport B and in order to afford access to the nut, so that the lattermay be rotated, a transo verse slot b is formed through the side of thesaddle-post at a point opposite the nut and of sufficient length topermit the nut to be turned a suitable part of a revolution by means ofa suitable spanner inserted through the slot 5 and engagingspanner-holes e, formed in the periphery of the nut. Preferably, and asshown in the present instance, the nut E will be made circular and ofsufficient diameter to project slightly at its periphery through the looslot 12 as indicated clearly in the drawings, this construction havingthe advantage of permitting the nut to be turned a greater part of arevolution at each step and also allowing it to rest upon the part ofthe wall of the saddle-post b forming the lower side of the slot 11thereby relieving the support D of a part of the working strain due tothe nut resting thereon.

As a convenient means of supporting the fixed diaphragm D and at thesame time preventing it from rotation, the latter is constructed in theform of a disk provided at diametrically opposite points upon itsperiphery with ears or lugs 01, which extend within the slots 1) of thesaddlepost, the upper surfaces of said ears engaging the upper end walls6 of said slots and preventing upward movement of the diaphragm underthe thrust of the expanding-block and the sides of said lugs preventingrotation of the diaphragm or supplort by engagement with the side wallsof the s ots.

The follower D is desirably made a counterpart of the part D, with theexception that the central aperture 01 thereof is provided atdiametrically opposite points with radiallyextending notches 61 withwhich are engaged a pair of wings or splines 6 formed upon theactuating-rod E, so as to prevent the latter from rotating with the nutE.

As adesirable means of connecting the fol lower D with the actuating-rodso as to cause it to move positively with the latter, said rod is headedor upset at its lower end, as indicated at 6 the upsetting or heading ofthe actuating-rod and formation of the splines being convenientlyaccomplished by the use of suitable dies.

The parts constructed as described may be assembled by first placing thefollower D, the expanding-block, and the fixed compressing-block D uponthe upper end of the actuating-rod in order named and slipping them downuntil the follower engages the splines, as described. The parts thusassembled may now be inserted within the saddle-post and into registerwith the aperture 1) of the support B", whereupon the actuating-rod maybe passed through said support and engaged with the nut.

While I have herein shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, yet itwill be obvious that the details thereof may be varied without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, and it will be further obvious thatthe fastener may be employed for other, purposes than that hereindescribed.

I claim as my invention 1. An internal fastener for telescoping tubularparts comprising a tubular inner member having yieldable wall portionscapable of being expanded outwardly, an expanding device located withinthe part of the tubular member having the expansible wall portions,comprising a body of yieldable material capable of being compressed in adirection longitudinally of the member to increase its transversemeasurement, whereby the yieldable parts of the tubular member may beforced into engagement with the outer telescoping member, and means forcompressing said yieldable body comprising confiningblocks arranged atopposite ends of the body and means for effecting the forcible approachof said blocks.

2. An internal fastener for telescoping tubular parts comprising anouter member, an inner tubular member slotted longitudinally so as topermit a portion of its side Wall to be expanded outwardly,compressing-blocks arranged within said slotted portion, provided withprojections engaging the slots to prevent rotation, a body ofcompressible material interposed between the compressingblocks, andmeans for forcing one of the blocks toward the other, comprising anactuating-rod operatively engaged with one of said blocks and extendinglongitudinally through the inner tubular member to a point beyond thetelescoped portion thereof, and means enabling said rod to be operatedfrom the outside.

3. An internal fastener for telescoping tubular parts comprising anouter member, an inner tubular member slotted longitudinally so as topermit a portion of its side wall to be expanded outwardly,compressing-blocks arranged within said slotted portion, provided withprojections engaging the slots to prevent rotation, a body of yieldablerubber interposed between the compressing blocks, means for forcing oneof the blocks toward the other comprising an actuating-rod positivelyengaged with one of said blocks and extending thence loosely through therubber block and the second compressing-block to a point within theexposed portion of the inner tubular member, and means enabling said rodto be moved endwise to compress the rubber block comprising a nut withwhich said rod has screw-threaded engagements rotatably mounted but heldfrom endwise movement within the exposed portion of the inner member andan opening in said inner member opposite the nut and through which thelatter may be operated.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature hereto, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses,this 24thday of June, A. D. 1898.

JAMES P. SCOVILL.

Witnesses:

Gno. L. THOMPSON, ALBERT H. GRAVES.

